Abstract

onlinePROTECT is a research collaboration that was set up in 2014 to promote, carry out, and communicate multi-agency research on the safety of children and young people in online and offline environments. Our work has focused on those engaged in the making, distribution, sharing, and accessing of indecent images of children. Our collaborators have included the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, the Metropolitan Police Service, CEOP, Europol, Interpol, and Project Dunkelfeld in Germany. This session presents findings from our initial aetiological research with acknowledged child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) offenders, which led to the development of the onlineProtect case formulation model. This model combines aetiological, situational, and personality/mental health factors in offenders’ pathways to CSEM offending, and findings on its therapeutic utility from peer-consultation and a controlled feasibility study will be presented. Finally, this session will discuss implications for deterrence, desistence, and preventative approaches in addressing this rapidly developing category of offending.